Documentation
Blinn College – Bryan Writing Center – Online Worksheet
This worksheet will help you create a Works Cited page and generate parenthetical citations
for your paper. It is geared toward MLA style, but should be useful for others as well. You
will need all your sources and The Handbook for Writers. Write your response to each of the
following in the space below:
Drafting Citations – “How do I cite this?”
1. What is a Works Cited page?
2. What is a Works Cited page citation?
3. Turn to the appropriate chapter in the Handbook for your documentation style and find
the directory of sources (Hint: MLA p. 575). Read through it and locate the types of
sources you have. Write the source type, formula number and page number below.
Example: Book by one author, #1, pg. 577
4. Starting with the first source type you listed, turn to the appropriate page and write down
the formula components in your own words. Pay close attention to punctuation.
Example: Author last, first. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher, year.
Documentation
Blinn College – Bryan Writing Center – Online Worksheet
5. Now that you understand each formula, apply what you wrote above to your sources.
Watch for abbreviations, punctuation, etc. Write the citations on another sheet of paper,
or write each one on the front page of the source. Remember, you can only put a source
on your Works Cited page if you have used it in the paper.
Writing In-Text Citations – “What goes in the parentheses?”
1. What goes at the end of research material that you use in your paper? Write an example
here (Hint: Handbook p. 561):
2. What items can go inside the parentheses?
What items will never appear inside the parentheses?
3. Where does the period go – before or after the parentheses?
4. Look at the citations you wrote for your sources and decide what would go in the
parentheses. Write down what would go inside on another sheet of paper, or write it on
the front page of the source.
5. Read through your paper carefully and highlight all borrowed material. Does each piece
have an in-text citation? Is it accurate? Make corrections on your draft.
Checking Format – “Does this look right?”
1. What is the spacing supposed to be?
2. What should the margins be set at?
3. What goes in the header?
4. Where do page numbers go?
5. What goes in the heading?
6. How are dates formatted?
7. Where does the paper title go?
8. How do you let the reader know you have started a new paragraph?
9. Where does the Works Cited title go?
10. Is the Works Cited page a new page or a separate document?
11. Does the Works Cited page have a page number?
12. How is the Works Cited page organized?
13. How are Works Cited entries indented?
14. How many spaces should there be after a period?
15. Are words in titles capitalized?
16. How do you designate a book, journal, newspaper or magazine?
17. What type of punctuation is used around article titles?